I've been thinking about the "new frugality" lately. Lots of talk, lots of articles about it. There are several books that have been released, covering saving a dollar, living for less, downsizing, saving big, saving small. Ahhh the recession has been good for the topic.

I was in an orthopedic doctors office the other day with my wife. She broke her kneecap riding a bike, or should I say riding a bike into a pothole, in Philadelphia. What a hassle for her. She went to the Jefferson Hospital in downtown Philly. They told her it would be "at least" 7 hours before she could be seen. She calls me in DC and I say, "why don't you take the bus home. Even with the bus ride and the wait at the Virginia Hospital Center, it would still be less time." She did.

Two things about that story, actually three, one, a broken kneecap is a pain in the ass for the brokee. Two, my wife is frugal about many things, including travel, (btw, she doesn't see it as frugal, she likes the bus) and third, in the orthopedic doctors office, I met a mortgage broker who said that mcmansions aren't selling. Home buyers are opting for a "livable" smaller house rather than a mcmansion.  There are a couple of new construction mcmansions in my neighborhood that have been on the market for around 2 years! Does that mean they're not really new anymore? One is just this bulbous thing on steroids, the other isn't so bad, it's just big. I guess some people want their family as far away from them as possible.

Why is this happening? Could it be because boomers are getting older and downsizing? Or, maybe Gen X'ers and younger generations are not interested in formal dining rooms, media rooms, 2 or 3 guest bedrooms etc. Maybe it's just the cost. The cooling, heating, furnishing, cleaning.

Susan Susanka, the author of the Not So Big House book series is a proponent of the downsizing of American homes. Besides the greater awareness of energy costs today she said, "I often say that square footage has nothing to do with the feeling of home... I think people are beginning to realize what an important role design (of the space you have) plays in feeling at home in our lives"

And it's not just houses. People are growing their own food, clipping coupons, shopping at used clothing stores, like Goodwill or consignment shops. It takes a while for people to admit it, but I have plenty of friends who do. These are people who could easily afford department store prices for new, but why? I've bought cloths at Goodwill. Yea, I said it. Why not. They fit, look good, and the stuff I buy is gently used. Oh, it's also 5 dollars for a pair of pants or a shirt!  Don't tell anyone, I want to continue to have a great selection. Someone's gotta pay retail!

Maybe one of the reasons frugality is on my mind, is that I'll be taking a buyout from work in September. For the last 29 years, I've been employed at ABC News in Washington, DC. I'm a video editor for Good Morning America. The buyouts were offered, and I just felt it was time. The industry is changing. All the networks are figuring out how to save money. They don't want to be caught off guard like the newspapers were.  So, needless to say my income will be less. My wife and I are starting to figure out where we can cut corners, and not feel like we're forced to not have fun. The goal, we decided, is not just to see how much money we can spend, but how to create a great life without spending loads.

Jeff Yeager, the author of "The Cheapskate Next Door", is going a little beyond how I would save money. He's riding a bicycle to, and sleeping on other cheapskates sofa's on his latest book tour.  It works for him. He has a great quote in a Salon article.  "I've been writing about frugality long enough to have seen it go from something that no one really talked about to now everyone is writing about saving money. I give a lot of money-saving tips, but in this economy we're missing the golden takeaway: It shouldn't be "how do we afford it?" but "do we even need it?"

I'm sure this frugality is just an offshoot of the recession, but, will it last. Some may argue that the way to keep America's economic engine running is to keep buying new. I say, I'm not going to get myself in debt to do it. Anyway, could it be that at least in the foreseeable future people are less materialistic, or more pragmatic about what they buy?

After a month of a really annoying cast, Liza got it removed last week... and was immediatly fitted with a brace. She has to wear it for another month, but then hopefully....

September is coming and I'm reminded of the old phrase,  Most people at the end of their lives don't think of the money they spent buying that sofa, but rather the people that meant something to you.

Photos by: Mandiberg, Krossbow, Alan Cleaver through a Creative Commons License. Thanks!